Chapter Forty-one

Tyler kissed Gavin goodbye, helping to right his tie before he left for the day. Sighing, he looked at his phone. He sent a quick message to one of his errand boys to have a truck ready for pick up. If Bram planned on taking Devon and Izabella out today, and they were buying bedding for the orphanage, he was going to need someplace to store it all. To another, he sent a message about getting a ton of wrapping paper and to have it delivered to his apartment beneath Bram’s. He requested bows, ribbon, and tape also.

He also sent Bram a text, asking if he wanted to pick out his own clothing while he was out, or if he still wanted Tyler to take care of it. *I like having an excuse to not have to wear a shirt, so I’ll look while I’m out. If I don’t get that far, I’ll tell you.* Came back almost immediately. Tyler had to chuckle to himself as he stepped under the hot spray of the shower. Not a man to sit idle, being at home for days would normally have him screaming. When he had first adopted Devon, he’d taken a month off, and had driven Tyler mad by day two. He hoped that Izabella helped temper him a little more. He was glad to see Bram have feelings for someone, but it was bittersweet.

She was a nice girl. As Tyler was the one who had initiated their meeting, he couldn’t regret it, knowing that it would bring joy into Bram and Devon’s lives. He just wished to hell he could have been the one to take that place in their hearts. It had been clear for a very long time; Bram would never be able to reciprocate those desires though. While Tyler loved the man with all his heart and would do anything for him, Bram looked at him more as a friend and brother. Someone whom he could rely on no matter what the cost. Someone who would always be a cornerstone of support and help.

But damnit all, the few years Tyler had gotten to be by his side had been the happiest he’d ever been. Since then, he’d been a loyal dog doing anything his master commanded. At least Gavin would help to appease some of that frustration. They’d been flirting on and off, but it wasn’t until they were walking away from that shit-show of a debacle at the store that Tyler offered to bring him back to the bar and buy him a drink.

He’d been hesitant, of course. Bram and his loyal dog were terrifying to most vampires. You can’t trust them, and to have two as inseparable as them was cause for plenty of questions and mistrust. He dressed in his normal fare, a shirt half unbuttoned and his sports jacket with matching pants. His personal feelings about the man bun he put his hair up in was that he looked ridiculous, but the patrons of the bar seemed to like the look, so he wore it more often than not. It had been amusing when he’d tried to convince Bram to grow his hair out again, but the stick stuck up his ass wasn’t going to move just to have customer’s ogle him more.

Unlocking Bram’s office, he stepped in, sliding behind the computer. Typing in Bram’s password, he started running his daily reports. Clipping each to a statement, he sent them to Bram via email. He knew that Bram wouldn’t actually look at the reports. He knew he didn’t have to. But if Tyler didn’t send them, he’d get grumpy about being knocked out of the loop. The bars were the last things they needed to worry about. His subordinates had everything reigned in nicely and were all highly professional in their handling of the business. It had taken Tyler and Bram a long time, and a lot of man hours, but the business was at a point where it was running itself nicely. Each of the owners they employed also had great management under them. So, unless there was some unexpected explosion somewhere, Tyler rarely had to get involved. Bram drank more from the bar itself than worried about it. Tyler could stop coming in at any point in time, knowing the place would do just was well with or without him.

Tyler dove into the DAS files on the system too. He didn’t like the proposed budgets, or the substantial increase of donations and out-pay of funds. He felt like they weren’t even trying to be careful anymore. They were taking bribes and putting pay-outs to miscellaneous accounts and purchases. This was Gavin’s job today. Showing up in front of the board would tell them that Bram was watching. That he was starting to pay attention, and that they should be careful.

Tyler eyed his watch. In a little while, he’d call Emma to let her know he wasn’t going to be at the bar most of the night again. But would try to make as much of an appearance as he could at some point. He was going slumming tonight. A particularly vile, yet sexy, young guy was bragging in the club the night before about being initiated into the Bloods, and Tyler had gotten an address and time. Though it could be a trap, Tyler was pretty sure the kid was clueless and even possibly simply trying to hunt him. The office phone rang.

“Hello, Crimson Night, how can I serve you?”

“For fuck sake, you sound sexier on the phone than you do in person. I might have to come back early tonight and just call you on the phone for fun.” Tyler smiled, Gavin was bold, and he really liked it. Though he had sub traits, he wasn’t a roll over and take it kind of guy either. Unlike Bram, who had been a dom all the way, Tyler could appreciate the switch affect that Gavin provided. He enjoyed the give and take.

“I’m down for a little phone play, just not at the moment. With Bram out for a while, I’m up to my eyeballs in paperwork.”

“Bram’s the kind of man who needs to hire a personal assistant for his personal assist.” Gavin laughed.

“I have several actually. So, I can’t complain too much. I do this to myself.”

“I love me a man who knows how to work hard and play hard.” Tyler couldn’t help but chuckle. Yes, he was enjoying playing with him. “I’m calling, unfortunately, because I’m having an issue and though I report directly to MaryBeth, she refusing to approve my schmoozing of the VIPs in the DAS. I think she believes I’m crossing the fence and will likely be reporting that they’re making me some offers. I wanted to let you know about it, because I don’t want Bram to assume the worst and we both know he won’t speak with me directly. I also want to take their offers and talk more about what they’re doing on the inside. If they let me in behind those closed doors, it’s the best way to gain the information we need with as minimal risk as possible.”

“How much are you looking for?”

“I need to take them to lunch, then I need an additional million to wire to their account. Theirs something going on that they believe I’ll be interested in, it’s happening Friday night. Some sort of pre-paid thing. They won’t give me the details until I make the transfer though. I think this is the big one. What you’ve been looking for. There are some pretty scummy people involved. I was told not to show up at the address I’ll get after payment is made in a suit.”

Tyler ran through the numbers again. Each one of those donations in were a million or more. What the hell were they up to? And could he really trust Gavin? They conveniently have a fling, and now he’s asking to go around his personal supervisor, not to mention rungs up the ladder. A mole could be something he could use though. He was currently tallying the risks. “And what about you?” He clicked through the pay-out reports. Some were going directly to the orphanages themselves, but most of it was being siphoned out to those damn miscellaneous accounts. He wondered if Bram had an override for it. For now, he’d play. Gavin was either going to prove to be an amazing asset, or he would try to run Tyler over with a bus. Either way, Tyler already knew he would come out on top. He just hoped Gavin was smart enough not to try to burn him. “What kind of risk are you assuming by being the ‘foot-in-the-door’ guy? And if you go through with this, we’re not going to be able to be seen together.”

“We can figure out things between us easily enough. I don’t have to go through with it if you don’t want me to. It’s fine either way. I just saw an opportunity I thought you might want to be part of. Risk nothing, gain nothing, so-to-speak. But I won’t do it if you tell me not to.” His suddenly flippant tone annoyed Tyler to no end. What was this guy playing at?

“I’ll approve lunch, go schmooze them. Buy them a shit ton of drinks over lunch and see if it helps loosen any tongues. Tell them you’re still thinking about the wire, a million is a lot for you to dish out on unknowns. See if they give you any more insight. I’ll text you an address at a hotel I’ll meet you at tonight. Don’t. Come. Here. Understood? I’ll have an answer for you on the million by then.”

“So, even you have to go through the approval process.” Gavin chuckled.

“Ha. No. I’m debating how much I trust you. I’m the only one you need approval from. Bram doesn’t put his hands in those pots. That’s what I’m for. Let’s be clear, this is a quick turnaround. Either I’m just that fucking fabulous in bed that you are suddenly willing to risk your neck to make an impression, or you think me some lovesick fool. I prefer to imagine it’s the first—”

“Damn right it is.” Gavin chuckled back. “Look, you give me this chance, and by the end of it, you’ll be both, just that good and lovestruck. I can wait until tonight. Just thinking about what you’re going to do to me after this conversation… I’m going to need to go use a private bathroom.” The phone clicked off, and Tyler stared at it a moment. That took a severe left turn out of nowhere.

Tyler couldn’t help but smile at the computer. *You want to play, Gavin? I hope you know you’ve met your match.*